The chaotic scene caused vendors to abandon their booths as people rushed toward exits. Incoming visitors were turned away by law enforcement following the evacuation.
“Suddenly everything was empty,” said Roberto Ramirez, a festival vendor. Ramirez initially mistook the gunfire for pyrotechnics before bystanders warned of an active shooter.
“People were freaked out,” he said.
Other witnesses described crowds dropping to the ground and pushing through exit areas.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” said Estan Wakonabo, another attendee.
“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” Wakonabo said.
The Bite of Seattle, established in 1982, typically attracts roughly 350,000 attendees over its three-day run.
